Hydraulic shaving implement



June 18, 1963 E. B. MYERS HYDRAULIC SHAVING IMPLEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Sept. 14, 1959 INVENTOR. ELMn/v 5. Myaes E. B. MYERS 3,093,900

June 18, 1963 HYDRAULIC SHAVING IMPLEMENT Filed Sept. 14, 1959 2Sheets-Sheet 2 H Q'IH IN VEN TOR. [LMAIN 8 QS @m/ Way A rroprvsvs3,093,900 HYDRAULIC SHAVING IMPLEMENT Elman B. Myers, Pornpton Lakes,N.J., assignor to Fuller-Myers, Spokane, Wash, a partnership Filed Sept.14, 1959, Ser. No. 839,707 2 Uaims. (Cl. 30-45) The present inventionpertains generally to shaving and hair-cutting implements and moreparticularly to a hydraulically-dniven razor of high eificiency.

Various types of electric shavers are currently available on the market.Essentially such shavers are constituted by an electrically-driven bladewhich reciprocates or rotates with reference to a perforated or groovedguard. In operation, the guard is pressed against the skin of the userso that hairs entering the pores or openings therein are sheared ofi bythe blade. Among the drawbacks of conventional electric razors are heat,noise and vibration as well as an unsatisfactory cutting action givingrise to skin irritation. Experience has shown that the cutting edges ofcommercial electric razors become dull after re peated use and as aconsequence, coarse hairs are broken E, and fine hairs are plucked outrather than sheared, thereby irritating the skin.

Lack of power in the rotating and reciprocating units of electric razorsand lack of iron in the magnetic vibrator types produce heating etfectswhich cause serious discomfort to the user. Heating is further enhancedby the necessary physical pressure against the skin during shaving.

All existing types of electric razors make use of a guard whichseparates the moving cutter from the face. In some instances, the guardis designed to roll the hair into the cutting zone and in other typesradial V slots are provided as a hair entrance. But regardless of thetype of guard used, it acts as a mechanical spacer between the surfaceof the skin and the cutting zone, and thereby determines the length ofhair stubble which re mains after cutting.

In conventional electric shavers, the motor is ordinarily housed in thehandle of a shaver and as a result, the form of a shaver is generallyclumsy and poorly accommodated to normal hand operation.

In view of the foregoing, it is the primary object of the presentinvention to provide an improved shaving mechanism, which mechanismoperates safely in direct contact with the face to effect a shearingaction without irritation or damage to the epidermis.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide ahydraulically-driven shaving implement which is noiseless andsubstantially free of friction during oper ation, which instrument maybe readily sterilized without damage to the parts.

A significant feature of the shaving instrument in accordance with theinvention is that it is anatomically accommodated to ensure directcontact with all contours of the surface to be shaved through the simpleexpediency of normal wrist motion and hand engagement. Finger pivots areprovided for this purpose to facilitate the proper orientation of theinstrument.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a shaving implementincluding a shaving head assembly and a handle, the weight distributionof the instrument being equipoised in the hand.

Also an object of the invention is to provide an in- 3,093,900 PatentedJune 18, 1963 For a better understanding of the invention as well asother objects and further features thereof, reference is had to thefollowing detailed description to be read in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing wherein like co-mponents in the several views areidentified by like reference numerals.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a hydraulically-driven shaving implement inaccordance with the invention operating in conjunction vvith anelectrically-energized hydraulic actuator, the shaving implement and itsactuator being shown in longitudinal section.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the shaving implement, the shaving headassembly therein being turned at right angles to its position in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the movable blade in the head assembly.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the movable blade.

FIG. 5 is a transverse section taken in the plane indicated by lines 5-5of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view showing the meshing relationship betweenthe teeth of the movable blade and one of the stator segments formingthe head assembly.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2,the major components of the shaving implement are a shaving headassembly 10, a handle 11 for supporting said assembly and a firsthydraulic reciprocator 12 housed within the handle to drive the movableblade in the head assembly. The hydraulic actuator for the implement isconstituted by an electrically energized vibrator 13 which operates asecond hydraulic reciprocator 14, identical to reciprocator 12, the tworeciprocators being intercoupled by a flexible tube 15.

The shaving head assembly 10 is constituted by two complementarymetallic elements which are shaped to deline a pair of matching statorsegments 16a and 1612 extending from shank segments 17a and 17b, theshank segments projecting from conical base segments 18a and 18b whichterminate in annular flange segments 19a and 19b.

Slidably interposed between stator segments 16a and 16b is a movableblade 20' having a rectangular shape, the blade being provided with alongitudinally extending stem which is slidable within complementarychannels 22a and 22b formed within stator segments 16a and 16b and shanksegments 17a and 1711.

As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 5, the movable blade 20 has a rectangularcross-section and is double-edged, the edges 20m and 2012 havingrelatively wide rectangular teeth or cutting nibs N formed therein. Thestator segments 16a and 1612, as will be evident in FIG. 5, have atriangular cross-section in order to maintain their rigidity. The statorsegments are also double-edged, the edges being slidably cham-fered andbeing slotted to provide relatively fine nibs N In practice, the statornibs may be .015 inch wide, and the movable blade nibs .030 inch wide.

The finished blade is preferably hardened to Rockwell 83 in the A scaleand is diamond finished, the blade being fashioned of Graph-Mo flatstock tool steel A of an inch thick. The stator segments are made ofhigh precision castings of Graph-Mo steel and hardened to Rockwell 83 inthe A scale. The shaving life expectancy of the movable blade iscontrollable by the degree of hardness imparted thereto in heatingtreatment.

The head assembly is secured to tubular handle 11 by means of a taperednut 23 which is received over the conical segments 18a and 18b of theassembly and which threadably engages a bushing 23' force-fitted intothe end of the handle. It will be seen that the inner end of nut 713presses against the shoulder formed between the flange segments 19a and19b and the conical segments 18a and 18b, thereby retaining the headassembly in place. To dismantle the head assembly one has merely tounscrew nut 23.

The hydraulic reciprocator 12 within the handle is constituted by abarrel 24 force-fitted into a sleeve 25 which in turn is force-fittedinto the other end of the tubular handle 11. A plunger 26 isreciprocable within the barrel, the plunger movement being subject tohydraulic pressure. A screw plug 27 encloses the sleeve 25, an O-ring 28being provided between the bushing and the plug to prevent leakagetherebetween. An O-ring 29 is also placed between a shoulder in sleeveand barrel 24 to prevent leakage therebet-ween.

Hydraulic plunger 26- is connected to a hardened steel extension 30which is coupled to the plunger by set screws 31 and 3 2. The movableblade stem 21 is provided with a hole 33, the stem extending within aslot in extension 30 and being linked thereto by a screw 34-, preferablyof Teflon. Operating clearance for the plunger is indicated at points Aand A A helical spring, held in compression is disposed within theconical segments 13a and 18b and surrounds the stem 21 therein. Theblade is moved in one direction by pressure applied to the plungerlinked thereto and is shifted in the reverse direction by the spring.

The hydraulic reciprocator 14 is identical to reciprocato'r 12 andincludes a sleeve 35, a barrel 36 forced concentrically therein, aplunger 37 movable in the barrel, and a plug 38 enclosing the sleeve.Hydraulic fluid 39 flows between the reciprocators through flexible tube15.

The plunger 37 is connected by a steel extension 40 to a swivel bar 41fastened to the driving spring armature 42 of the electrical vibrator13. The vibrator preferably is of the high-amplitude type and isenergized by alternating-current whereby assuming 60 cycle current, thevibrator is caused to swing at 7200 cycles per minute. It is to beunderstood that any frequency of blade movement ranging from one cycle asecond to any higher value will produce satisfactory shaving results.With the blade slots and the stator slots as shown, a blade travel ofone-eighth of an inch will be adequate to effect the desired shearingaction. An increase in travel distance will not enhance or detract fromthe results. This could therefore be called the terminal parameter.. Inpractice, the blade movement reciprocally should not be less than 7 ofan inch and not greater than A; of an inch. The frequency of motion isnot critical. However, the velocity of the blade movement, irrespectiveof frequency, must be adequate to produce the shear force required forhaircutting over the total blade-cutting area of the zone of contact.

The vibrator and the hydraulic reciprocator are both mounted on a commonbase plate 43. In practice the hydraulic actuator may be mounted in asmall box, with a plug provided for connection to an electrical outlet,the fluid line from the box extending to the shaving implement which maybe readily manipulated by the user.

In operation, when the vibrator is energized, the plungor 37 iscorrespondingly reciprccated, thereby causing pulses of hydraulic fluidthrough tube 15 to activate the plunger 26' in the reciprocator whichdrives the movable blade 20. Thus, as shown in FIG. 6, the nibs on theblade 20 move back and forth with reference to the nibs on the statorsegment.

The cutting head makes direct surface contact with the skin, and cuttingis effected in relation to both stator segments and the common blade. Ahair which protrudes above the skin surface will be nibbled off flushwith the skin, and any soft appendage will be pressed down and remainundisturbed. The slots in the stator segments will comb hair into thecutting zone so that the removal of hair is a surface action withresults comparable to that produced by safety or open blade razors butwith less irritation. There is no guard interposed between the skin andthe cutting zone and yet the cutting action is perfectly safe. Theshaving head is completely isolated from the electrical system and maybe sterilized or cleaned without difficulty. Shaving may be done with orwithout soap or lather.

While a hydraulic system has been shown to operate the razor, it will beappreciated that any known form of reciprocating drive may be used forthis purpose.

Provided on the handle are finger pivots P and P in the form of buttontype rivets, the axial point of the rivets being at a angle with respectto the cutter faces In shaving, one rivet rests in the center of the padof the index finger of the right or left hand and the other rivet in thepad of either thumb. By means of this simple expedient, whereby theinstrument may be pivoted from light to left, the correct shavingposition may be established automatically with the cutters always inproper shaving position for the entire facial contour.

Provided in the hydraulic reciprocators in the shaver and actuator areoil holes 0 and 0 These are used to fill the hydraulic system with oiland are closed with a small screw and O ring seal. One hole acts as afiller and the other as a bleeder or seal port.

While there has been shown what is considered to be a preferredembodiment of the invention, it will be manifest that many changes andmodifications may be made therein without departing from the essentialspirit of the invention. It is intended, therefore, in the annexedclaims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within thetrue scope of the invnetion.

What is claimed is:

1. In a hair-cutting implement, a shaving head assembly comprising apair of complementary metallic elements so shaped as to define a pair ofmatched stator segments in parallel relation, a pair of shank segmentsextending from said stator segments and connected to pair of conicalsegments terminating in a pair of annular flange segments, a bladeinterposed between said stator segments slid-able longitudinally andprovided with a stem, said stem being received within channels formed insaid stator segments and said shank segments and extending within saidconical segments, said blade and said stator segments havingsubstantially the same transverse dimensions to prevent blade exposure.

2. In a haincutting implement, a shaving head assembly comprising a pairof complementary metallic elements so shaped as to define a pair ofmatched substantially flat stator segments in parallel relation, a pairof shank segments extending from said stator segments and connected to apair of conical segments terminating in a pair of annular flangesegments, a flat blade interposed between said stator segments slidablelongitudinally and provided with a stem, said stem being received withinchannels formed in said stator segments and said shank segments andextending within said conical segments, said blade and said statorsegments being double-edged and having nibs therein, the nibs of saidblade being relatively wide and the nibs of said stator segments beingrelatively fine, said blade and said stator segments havingsubstantially the same transverse dimensions to prevent blade exposure.

(References on following page) 5 References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 399,789 Scott Mar. 19, 1889 761,808 AllenJune 7, 1904 937,334 Shurtlefi Oct. 19, 1909 1,014,187 Travers Jan. 9,1912 1,059,774 Sharpneck Apr. 22, 1913 1,479,300 Jones Jan. 1, 19241,481,387 Paratore J an. 22, 1924 1,513,826 Kenney Nov. 4, 19241,642,532 Beauregard Sept. '13, 1927 1,716,387 Shaler June 1 1, 1929Edsall Dec. 3, 1929 Ramige Feb. 25, 1936 Hill et a1 Sept. 22, 1936Holsclaw Mar. 3, 1942 Sarver Nov, 14, 1944 Williams Oct. 21, 1947'Ihiberg Nov. 22, 1949 Dickerson Mar. :1, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS GreatBritain Aug, 24, 1938 Switzerland June 16, 1945

1. IN A HAIR-CUTTING IMPLEMENT, A SHAVING HEAD ASSEMBLY COMPRISING APAIR OF COMPLEMENTARY METALLIC ELEMENTS SO SHAPED AS TO DEFINE A PAIR OFSMATCHED STATOR SEGMENTS IN PARALLEL RELATION, A PAIR OF SHANK SEGMENTSEXTENDING FROM SAID STATOR SEGMENTS AND CONNECTED TO PAIR OF CONICALSEGMENTS TERMINATING IN A PAIR OF ANNULAR FLANGE SEGMENTS, A BLADEINTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID STATOR SEGMENTS SLIDABLE LONGITUDINALLY ANDPROVIDED WITH A STEM, SAID STEM BEING RECEIVED WITHIN CHANNELS FORMED INSAID STATOR SEGMENTS AND SAID SHANK SEGMENTS AND EXTENDING WITHIN